Submitted by Beth Grapes
P.E. Teacher,  Fort Garrison Elementary School

Who would have ever thought that technology could play a role in PE? Certainly not I, since I’ve been doing this for so long without them. But I tried to keep an open mind and decided to give it a shot to enhance the learning that takes place in my classroom. One of the first ways I included the devices in class was when we had the heart adventure course set up and at the brain station one of the activities was to watch a BrainPop video and do the games associated with the heart and circulatory system. The students enjoyed learning through a different medium and were able to show concepts that are hard to teach. The Kahoot program is another great way to include technology in PE since they are easy to create and the students love using them to review facts and test their knowledge.

One of the best experiences with the devices in PE was when we had the movement education equipment, which is a variety of climbing apparatuses that can be arranged so many different ways. Students in the 5th grade were assigned to work in small groups to collaborate and create a new way to set up the equipment. Students used drawing apps on their devices to complete the design and then I used their ideas to recreate the course the following week. The students were extremely engaged in the fact that they were helping to create the next week’s work. Although we do not use the devices often in class, I do try to make those times count and still keep the students moving as much as possible.

Submitted by Daniel Parks
PE Teacher, Hawthorne Elementary

They kick, they score!  Second grade students in Mrs. Evan’s class used Padlet in Physical Education to video their kicking abilities.  The students were put into groups of three where they had time to practice, record, view, and provide feedback to one another.  Each student looked closely at their partner’s ability to keep their non-kicking foot next to the ball, use the inside of the foot to kick the ball, and to follow through the kick.  Mr. Parks also used the videos as formative assessments to gather evidence of students’ performance and plan personalized coaching opportunities for those in the class.  Mr. Parks and his students are excited to continue to use the digital resources as they create individual “My Skills” portfolios for Phys. Ed.

Visit the Kicking Padlet to learn more.